Escaping fates
by ScarletKitten
Summary: Akito is a mad scientist who has captured all the zodiacs. somehow, they manage to escape,with hatred in their hearts for humans. That is until they meet tohru. Fic will focus more on haru, kyo yuki n hatori.
1. Default Chapter

: #Red alert red alert# :

The sirens were blaring. The ground was shaking, trembling as guard after guard, armed with their special laser weapons trooped out in an orderly manner.

' Don't let them escape! I want each and every one of them captured alive, do you hear me?' barked a young man. His eyes glistening with rage as the blood around his clenched fists trickled down onto his fingers, staining the white coat he was currently wearing.

Breathing heavily, he reached into his pockets and pulled out a capsule. The pale blue liquid within only half filled the empty capsule. Gripping it tightly, his lips twisted into a malicious grin before he scowled, allowing his bloodstained hands to soil the glossy smooth surface. ' I will have it all in the palm of my hand..'

'Get them!'

* * *

A shot from the deadly weapon resulted in an explosion of a nearby door, the last trace of its existence complete with a powerful jolt of electricity.

Hissing and snarling, the escaping cat swung its lethally sharp claws straight through the nearby guard's throat, and watched momentarily satisfied as the man gargled and writhed within his own blood just before he aimed a final shot at the menacing cat.

'Watch out!'

Looking up, the man could only gulp before he was trampled right in the chest, the weapon kicked straight out of his hands with a powerful hoof. Lifting the cat by the nape with his teeth, the ox trotted off to safety, ignoring the vulgarities the cat was spiting in its taste for revenge.

' Baka neko! Do you have to be this stupid at a time like this!' Flinching momentarily at Yuki's insult, the cat reared on its feet and lunged forwards, ready to sink his dagger like claws into Yuki's face. A swift kick to the head was all it took before Kyo was sent tumbling back against two impudent guards.

Throwing some clothes over to both the ox and the cat, Yuki himself was already dressed as he took on another two more guards, sending them both sprawling back onto the floor. ' Get changed once you're human, we don't have time for this. We have to escape and save the rest!'

' Shut up! You are the one wasting my time!' There was a loud poof in the background and before long, Kyo himself was all dressed, clenching his fists as he did so as he eyed the rat with hatred and shame. His vendetta with Yuki was a long story but the shame he felt was undeniable, after all, it was the rat who had braved the odds and released them from where they were held captive.

_Curse it_, swore the cat. It was after all, not his fault that he couldn't become a small sized animal to squeeze beyond the various doors and outsmart the traps and so on and so forth. In fact, he hated it when Yuki acted like he was in charge. Still, there wasn't much time to be lost.

Glancing over at Hatsuharu, the ox merely flicked a tail in his direction before he picked up his clothes with his mouth and headed off in the opposite direction. ' Haru! Where the hell are you going!' Throwing the cat a quizzical glare, the ox paused for a while, blanking out momentarily before he trotted towards Kyo and walked through the door behind him. ' Damn that stupid ox, how are we going to escape with him?' Grabbing an injured guard by the hair, Kyo decided to try asking. 'How do we get out of here?'

The only reply the cat received was something which sounded like ' urgh..'

' I don't have time for games! Tell me now!'

'You really are a baka neko. We have to find and rescue the rest first before escaping!'

' I know that you damn rat! I'm just getting to it!'

A scuffle and the cries of someone could be heard in the distance. Looking up, both the cat and mouse advanced forward to where the ox had earlier gone, careful not to alert their enemies, if any, of their approach. Standing over the group of fallen guards, Kyo made a mental note never to make the ox angry judging by the bloody state they were currently in. Gingerly making their way over the mess and blood, light could be seen spewing over a broken window at the far end of the corridor. Shards of broken glass adorned the once spotless floor.

' Haru! Hatori!'

Jumping in, the cat assisted the ox as they began to unshackle the unconscious dragon. Yuki could do nothing but stare as his mind began to reel, taking in the sight that lay before him. Earlier on that day the guards had taken him, gruffly explaining that he was to be locked in a separate cell. It was all a lie. Whatever they had done to him, Yuki didn't know. The cuffs and shackles which were used to restrain him were caked with dried blood, Hatori's blood and there was the suspicious wound bandaged with some band-aid upon his neck..

' Hatori! Are you alright?' Given his weakened state, it was imminent that he would transform back into his zodiac state anytime now. Weakly, the dragon could only mutter ' Blood, they wanted the blood of a dragon, my blood… together with.. the rest of ours..'

'What? Is that why they held us here? Is that it! Where are the rest?'

' I don't know.. the rest.. they have.. escaped.. I heard them say so.. and they kept me here.. Gave me something so I couldn't escape..'

'Those bastards will pay!' Haru had his fist through the wall. The very idea of having an injured member of their zodiac pack didn't please him. True they weren't exactly human, but still, traces of humanity still lived in their spirit. In fact, after what they had been through, he was ready to declare himself more human then any human being. _Humans are disgustingly low and filthy, we never should have trusted them_.

'Haru, We have to escape, now.' Yuki's voice was ringing. Kyo had Hatori supported by his side. They were ready. Ready to fight back. Only not yet.

Cringing at the annoying alarm which was ringing wildly, they crept stealthily down the aisle. Allowing Haru to lead was something foreboding, but in this case, ignorance was blissful and for the first time, they were rewarded as a kick to the door led them outside. Blinding lights were shone their way, irritating their sense of sight as they all noticed the hovering helicopter just meters away.

Making their way towards the fence, Kyo took the lead along with a semi-conscious Hatori while Haru and Yuki did their best to stall their attackers. Blows and punches were never drawn better and Haru felt himself losing control over his temper and rage as the urge to escape and protect intensified within him, allowing his alter-ego, the ever violent 'black' side to come into consciousness.

' Can you at least give me a hand here?' The cat, was flustered and ever bad-tempered, finding that he was unable to both climb and hold on to Hatori at the same time. Rolling his eyes, the rat did a somersault, and vaulted gracefully over the fence. 'You dumb rat! How are you suppose to help when you have already gone over the fence?'

' Use your head you baka neko! Now give Hatori-san a lift up and I'll catch him from here.'

'Stop calling me a baka neko!'

'That's it boys, play with me. You have absolutely no idea how much I crave for a fight, so give it your best shot!' Dodging the attacks, 'black' Haru was in control. Not only did he enjoy beating the crap out of the human guards, he himself was rather disappointed at their lousy endurance stamina, blacking out after a few repeated punches.

'Haru! Stop fighting you stupid cow and get over here!' Catching sight of his friends over the side of the fence, he felt the sudden urge to be with them. Ignoring his inner pleas to continue fighting, he felt his calmer self taking over his body. That was when he felt something cold latching itself around his neck. Before Haru had any chance to retaliate, a sudden jolt of electricity was released from it, causing excruciating pain as he felt his arms and legs go limp.

'Haru!'

'Go.. I'll be fine.. just .. just go.. I'll catch up with you…arghh..'

The guards were closing in. It was a difficult choice, but Yuki knew he had to trust it. ' Kyo, let's go. Haru.. He'll take care of himself.'

'Are you crazy! Are we abandoning him now?'

'We need to get help for Hatori, let's go now..' slinging the dragon's arm over his shoulder, Yuki took off, knowing that Kyo would be right behind him, in a few seconds.

'Give it up, freak. I have orders to bring you back alive, but try it again and I will be forced to bring a dead one back.'

Recovering from the pain, Haru maximized his strength, bringing his hands onto the 'thing' around his neck, breaking it in three places as pain began to surge from the high voltage electricity connected to the collar. There was a loud explosion as the three broken pieces were hurled, causing much smoke and distraction.

' Damn it! Where did he go?'

* * *

' Er.. Akito sir? We have bad news.'

The man's hands were no longer bloody though the stains still lingered upon his white coat. The capsule within his hand was now emitting an emerald green colour against the crystal clear light. ' 3 more.. just 3 more…' He was mumbling.

' Er.. Akito sir? I just said ..'

' What is it?'

' It seems, er.. we have lost them all..'

_**Clash**_

The set of test tubes and bottles, which had been sitting on the table, were now resting in pieces upon the floor.

' Idiots! You let them escaped!'

' Akito sir, please, they can't have gone far, they must be injured someway or other.'

Handling the capsule within his fingers, Akito looked at it for one last time, and then he pocketed it. Smiling suddenly, he whispered ' You may have escaped but you can't hide from me, not when you came up to me first. Soon, I will have it all, just 3 more… just 3 more…'

' Sir?'

' They have taken the dragon too?'

' What dragon?'

' Don't be a fool, the dragon has taken a dose of my medicine, anytime now… just anytime now…'

' Akito sir, I really don't understand..'

' You don't have to. Now just be a good boy and find them all for me. And not to forget, I want them all alive.'

With a nod, the man exited, glad to be out of the room. Akito was a man of strange words. Not that anyone could understand what he was saying, let alone what he was really thinking.

Starring out into the clear night sky, Akito smirked at his own mirror reflection upon the window, as he softly croons ' Run zodiacs run.. No matter where you are, they will never accept you for being what you really are, and until then, you will return to my side and accept my help once again… Until then.. run my dear little zodiacs.. until you can run no more..'

* * *

a/n: **Had this idea suddenly out of the blue and i simply had to pen it down. Do leave comments for i need to know if this plot's ok. Rating may go up since i'm having a bunch of crazy thoughts but not at the moment. Thanks for reading.**

**Post author note, important: I sincerely apologise for some random typos here and there. But one thing to take note, fanfiction somehow deleted a chunk of paragraphs from this chapt without my knowing. Somehow when I previewed, it was there, but now that I have a second glance, its not, so it must have been weird cuz the words really didn't connect! I have replaced it with the missing paragraphs and damn I hope it works this time.**

**Thanks a lot for those who have reviewed. Pardon my typos and I'll be getting down soon to work out another chap. Once again, thanks.**


	2. Seeing things

Thanks a lot for the reviews!

I did check my chapter after typing but I did it on Microsoft words before simply pasting it over on And everything did look fine. Hmm. Well, i edited the last chapt and replaced the missingparagraph.Still, I'm a very careless person by nature so you have to pardon the spelling errors I make because the spell check may not pick it up. Ie: puck for pluck, weep for sweep and the list just goes on. In fact, I usually laugh at my own typos.

Well, shall not rant on. Here's the chap.

* * *

'We should go back.'

Trudging along under the weight of his semi conscious companion, Yuki could only suppress the urge to answer the cat with a fist to the face.

They had not been traveling for long and Kyo had been anything but helpful with his incessant questions and statements. All along, Yuki had always prided himself for being a least a notch smarter then the cat regardless of the subject or event, but this time, he couldn't help but wonder if Kyo was right for once. They should have at least waited for Hatsuharu to catch up before continuing forth. Then again, given the situation and the circumstances back then, he knew it would be foolish to stay behind.

'Haru can take care of himself.'

'How? That stupid ox has no sense of direction! Hell, he may even run back to the cell where we escaped from!'

' Well then it can't be helped!' Yuki's temper was flaring. Under the duress of helplessness, it was hard enough just having to save themselves, let alone their friend.

' You bastard! I bet you left Haru back there as a distraction to save your own tail! Coward! If it were me I'd - '

' Shut up! What does a cat like you know! I had to escape. It was a living nightmare, what they did to me, you will never understand! So shut up and go!'

Kyo was stupefied. He had never liked Yuki. In fact, since young, he detested him and vice versa. Somehow the enmity between the two of them could be simply because of their animal representation, but aside from that, Kyo hated him because of the rat's abnormal capabilities, making him a constant favourite among their kind. Yuki was everything he wanted to be and it frustrated him to know that his intelligence and skills were nowhere near. And somehow today, he had cracked. Yuki's sudden outburst was unnerving.

'Wha- what did they – '

' Nothing! Let's just go. There's nothing we can do for Haru but wait.'

* * *

Rushing elatedly down the stairs, Tohru was excited. The school term holidays had only just begun and already she missed her friends. Scooping up the letters and packages, Tohru scanned through them, eyes wide with joy and anticipation. Sure enough, they were all invitations and greetings from her classmates, especially her two best friends – Uotani and Hanajima.

'Now Tohru, remember, don't stay out too late at night or you might risk getting a cold, don't eat between meals because its not good for you, and most importantly –

' I know! Call your number when I'm not feeling well. I get it doctor Suzuki. Thank you!'

Closing the door behind her, Tohru settled the letters upon the table, grabbing her sweater as she did before going outside. Since young she had lived alone after her parents had died. The details regarding their deaths were unclear. The last she heard was that they had died in a freak accident and ever since then she had been living alone, not wanting to probe the issue further. Loneliness had been something difficult to cope at first and with that, it had given her poor health, though she was managing it fairly well now with both the support and love from her friends.

Though the afternoon sun was up, the weather had been cold around 20 degrees. Running outside under the warmth of her sweater, she surveyed her surroundings. The leaves on the trees were a fresh shade of yellow and red, followed by the warm green coloured grass. The house she lived in was a two-storey brick building with roses and lilacs surrounding the fences, followed by a rich sea of greenery – more grass, and trees.

Heading towards a patch, she bended over to take a closer look at her growing carrots and lettuces. Blessed with a green thumb, Tohru had found great joy in gardening, Carrots, leeks, onions, strawberries, turnips, any seeds she could lay her hands on would soon sprout its gifts from the very ground.

Gently she nudged the soil, loosening it and then she caught sight of something from the far end of the bushes.

Cupping her hand over her eyes, she squinted against the bright afternoon sun, a silhouette of a four-legged creature drawn against the golden background.

'Hello?'

The creature startled, rearing his head towards her direction with a soft 'mooo…'

_Oh is it true! Is that a cow I see?_ Getting to her feet, Tohru took a step forward, determined to answer her conclusion. Her suspicions were of course confirmed. The black and white markings were a give-away. Straddling closer, she swore she saw its ears flicking up in surprise as it began to back down slowly, watching her carefully before it turned on its tail and lumbered off in the opposite direction. _Hold on, are those clothes between its teeth?_

'Wait -!'

It did seem odd to Tohru that a cow should appear out of nowhere. Beyond the tiny field would be nothing but roads and highways only a few miles shy of the big city. Besides, the nearest farm was at least a day's drive away. Had she imagined the animal? A cow could never drop out of nowhere; it had to come from somewhere at least!

Rubbing her eyes, she scanned the area once more – empty. Deciding that the day was still early, and also to satisfy her curiosity, she strolled up the path where she had last seen the animal. It was a straightforward route, leading her through a thicket of bushes she never knew existed. Her surroundings were no longer familiar, lighted with infrequent rays of sunlight streaming through the leaves above her.

Tripping clumsily over a root, she swung her arms frantically as a tiny scream escaped her throat and she stumbled down a clearing hidden amongst the leaves, landing with a dull thud on her bottom. Cringing at the pain, she had little time to register her thoughts as her eyes fell silently upon the sprawled figure across the ground.

'Are you alright!'

Gently she flipped the figure over, heaving a momentary sigh of relieve to see the soothing rise and fall of his chest. And then her gaze fell upon the angry red welts across his neck. Without knowing why, she lifted her delicate fingers and traced the gnashing wound, her voice welled up inside her throat. It seemed to her that something had been restrained around his neck for the marks were rather deep, or worst, someone or something had hurt him. Either way, the wound was bad.

His hair was a odd mixture of both white and black, a truly unique colour for someone as young as he. The bruises and cuts upon his face could barely hide the fact that he was good-looking, complete with a well-chiseled chin.

The clothing he wore was ragged and torn at certain places. The rip across his chest revealed nothing more then the colour of fair, well toned muscled skin, and much to Tohru's embarrassment, she began to blush.

Looking back at where she had fallen through, she deduced that he too must have met the same fate, flying through the hidden clearing. _Ah! I better check and see if he has any broken bones!_

Without warning, the boy sat up, the colour of his eyes a dull shade of gray and he looked practically lost and vulnerable, that was until he answered her concerns with a loud and unabashed yawn. Stretching his hands behind his back, Tohru seriously wondered if her worries had been unnecessary, judging by his relaxed and comfortable demeanor. It was highly possible that he might have been sleeping all along.

Shifting his head, Haru gazed groggily into a pair of honey brown eyes.

' You are …?'

' Oh! You're all right! I was afraid that you were hurt. Ah yes, my name is Tohru, please to meet you!'

Silence.

' Are you sure you're alright?'

Haru was barely listening. His thoughts were focused on the events that had happened just hours ago. On the surface he appeared aloof, but deep inside, he was worried, regarding the safety of his friends. Did Yuki manage to escape with the rest? Were they still being hunted? Was he even safe right now?

' It's all right. I won't hurt you. You can trust me on that!'

Trust. Would he ever trust another human? Her smile was warm and genuine, but it was just too good to be true.

'Just call me Haru.'

* * *

**A/n: Finally i got a chapter up! School has just started for me and i am bombarded with projects for all 7 subjects - sucks.  
To be truthful, i have steeredslightlyaway from my original idea since i had seperated yuki n gang away from haru. All in good time before they will all gather in one place. In the meantime, any haru fans out there?**


	3. The experiment

My term test is finally over! So I'm on a one week break, however, it has to be completely devoted to project completion – all 7 of them! So I'm pretty much screwed. Still, I figure I owe this story a chap. I know that my updates are slow but I get a bit of writer's block every once in a while. I don't write out my fics first, I just decide on a plot and develop the chapters as it goes. Thank you so much for those lovely reviews!

Regarding the colour of Tohru's eyes, I checked. The Manga pictures show her with brown coloured orbs. But the anime portrays it as blue coloured. And for Haru's eyes, it appears to be brown in the Manga, but grayish in the anime. Am I right? Do correct me if I'm wrong.

Am glad to see some Haru fans out there! I really like him too! He's... so lovable! giggles. Which is of course, the reason why our favourite ox is the main star here.

Disclaimer: I don't own fruit baskets.

Now on with the story.

* * *

_Flashback_

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Gloved hands. Muffled voices. A misty white haze impairing his vision.

Haru tried to move, willing his body to resist, only to be rewarded with an intensifying sharp pain in his temple. Grimacing at the throbbing pain, he tried to bring his hand forth to comfort his aching head, only to be stopped as he realized that something was holding them down.

Something cold and steely had wedged itself over his wrist, including his ankles. Drawing most of his strength, he wrangled his hand mercilessly against the nasty manacle, ignoring the pain convulsing through his veins before he finally gave up.

He felt weak, as if his strength had been thoroughly sapped.

Opening his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings, forcing his hazy grayish black orbs to focus. The lights were bright, too bright, and it hurt his delicate eyes, compelling him to shut them as he cringed, cursing himself for being this weak.

A tiny beeping sound resonated within the background.

And then it hit him. He had been brought into 'the room'.

They must have given him something, something to suppress his strength for he felt unusually weak. A sharp prod against his sensitive skin took him back to reality as he realized that a fellow human had just injected something via a needle into his bloodstream.

Struggling with all he had, Haru grunted as a sweeping pain overcame his arm, flowing through his entire body as he shook and convulsed, his hands now clenched into a tight fist as he fought with all he had against the internal pain. It felt as if someone had released a ball of raging fire right into his body system. The untamed invasion was like poison, ravaging through him like he was a piece of paper, tearing him up from the inside.

The beeping sound within the background began to shudder, increasing its volume as the seconds ticked.

' His heart rate is increasing at an abnormal rate'

' Blood volume is above the average rate!'

' Akito Sir, we have injected half the serum as instructed, his condition is too unstable to endure a second round, I suggest..'

'Silence. I want it all in him. Do it. Now!'

' But sir...'

Interrupting the conversation, a fellow assistant remarked ' Sir! His immune system is now down, we need to do something!'

Smirking, Akito answered ' All the better, now do it!'

The pain was immense, beyond any forms of description. Haru wanted to kill himself right then and there. It felt as if a million daggers had impaled him from the inside, crushing his internal organs as it did, for his lungs were steadily running dry of air. His body shook involuntarily, as if he were undergoing a series of spasm. Opening his mouth, he gagged as the air struggled to reach his lungs. What were they doing to him? Convulsing from side to side, he felt the hard metal restrains around his wrists edging its way deeper into his skin.

He couldn't be bothered with that. Pain was the least of his problems now. He only wanted to escape. To get away from this very room.

And then he felt strong hands holding him down, a couple of straps pulled tightly over his shoulder and chest, immobilizing him as he writhed and shuddered from the immense pain. Yelling was now an option he chose, to release himself of the heavy stress contorting through his body.

A cooling liquid brushed itself lightly above his forearm, alerting his now sensitive senses to another deadly danger. Looking over, he couldn't stop himself as he noticed the dreaded needle containing something, closing its proximity towards his skin. Summoning his remaining strength, he lashed out, only to be held down by another two more humans.

The last thing he knew was the pricking sensation as the needle invaded the surface of his skin.

Like a bomb, he exploded. And then, pain within was replaced with something else. For a moment, Haru felt different as a calming wave swept through his mind, freeing him of all thoughts and action. Inside his mind, he heard a voice.

'Awaken me. Free me.'

It sounded so distant, and yet so familiar.

The voice was menacing and dark. As the blackness began to swirl, it seemed to form a silhouette of someone. With a hand out stretched, the voice continued ' Free me. Now!'

As Akito stood and watched, his lips slowly curled to form a smile. Gripping the paper cup he held within his hands, his smile began to widen as he watched with abated breaths.

The assistants holding Haru down watched in horror as the boy's black and white hair began to ruffle itself, and they gaped as shades and patches of black hair began to appear upon the silver white locks. His eyes were no longer an innocent gray, but a darkened black as a tiny grin slowly appeared within his lips.

With more strength then they could imagine, Haru had already freed his first hand, crushing the manacle in the process as his fist connected with the soft bone tissues of his first unlucky victim.

' Quickly, someone! Restrain him!'

He was now a raging bull, bent on destroying everything that lay in his pathway. With another mighty pull, he liberated himself of the straps which had been pulled over his shoulder. His wrist was now a bloody sight, and as Haru inspected the damage, he brought the hand closer and grinned as he licked the blood, tasting it with immense pleasure. And then he looked up.

' I am now free! And I want your blood!'

Still partially restrained, Haru was enjoying himself as he tossed a helpless human right through the glass window. He felt extremely different. He couldn't really remember why he was here, or what he was supposed to be doing. But the only thing ringing in his mind right now was one simple word: Kill.

As quickly as everything had started, it ended as two tiny darts pricked itself upon Haru's shoulder.

Growling, he seized the two tranquilizer darts, only to feel his only free hand going limp as the drug's instantanteous effect began to take place.

Tossing the tranquilizer gun aside, Akito took a step towards the now drowsy Ox.

Looking straight into his hazy gray orbs, Akito placed his hand over the ox's soft pallid cheek, caressing his chin in the process as he whispered ' My my, my beautiful devil has finally awakened.'

Slumping back onto the seat, Haru could hardly feel his hand, his senses now thoroughly numbed. His eyelids were growing heavier. He could remember nothing that had taken place. He could not understand what the crazy Akito scientist was whispering. He simply felt so tired. Too tired to bother. Too tired to care.

The last thing he saw before he fell into deep slumber was the evil glint within the mad scientist's eyes, as he noted his hand gently brushing his silvery fringe aside. But he was too weak to resist and sleep was now his alley.

* * *

Jerking awake, Haru was breathing heavily. 

The nightmare he just had, it had been haunting him for a while now.

Sitting up, he removed the pile of blankets someone had so kindly placed over him and scanned his surroundings.

The place smelled of fresh pinewood and a heavenly scent of freshly baked muffins. Doing so, he heard his stomach rumble, a sign saying that he should start feeding it. Rubbing his empty tummy, he noticed the bandages wrapped neatly around his injured wrist. Instinctively, he felt his other injuries, taking note that his neck had been bandaged as well.

It felt uncomfortable for it did after all resemble some of the metal restrains he had once been forced to wear.

Footsteps from a corner made him turn, just in time to see the girl, who had found him only earlier that day, entering the room, a cheerful smile plastered over her pretty features.

' You have waken up. That's good. I hope you didn't mind but I saw that you were injured, so I helped to bandage those wounds while you were sleeping.'

'Ah.. Arigatoo' Was all Haru could muster. He couldn't trust himself to say anything else. Further more, the bed he was lying on felt really comfortable.

' Ano, your clothes were in pretty bad shape, so I went out to get you some clothes. I hope they fit.'

Bending over, she placed a stack of clothes upon the chair.

Finding the silence rather uncomfortable, Tohru smiled gently before she stood up. ' You must be hungry, let me cook something for you. I baked some muffins too.'

Retreating out the door, Tohru was about to close it when she heard him ask. ' Why are you doing this? I don't know you. I should be going now.'

Getting up, Haru staggered a little over to the chair. And then he felt a pair of hands guiding him back to the bed.

' Ano, It's alright mister. You can stay here. After all I live by myself.'

Surprised by her act of intimacy, Haru released his hand from hers, responding ' All the more why I should leave. Aren't you afraid that I will hurt you?'

Shaking her head, Tohru gave him an innocent smile. ' You don't look like someone who would do such a thing. I trust you.'

Trust. He barely knew her for 10 minutes and already she had placed her entire safety and trust into his hands. Were all humans this gullible or just plain naïve?

Besides, he knew he couldn't stay. He had to find Kyo and the rest. To find the rest of their zodiac clan. To escape from the crazy mad scientist. To protect his very own secret.

Then again, they would never find him here. The last place they would think of searching for him would be in a human's house. Still, this meant that he could implicate her in their battle. It was something he would not allow.

' So let me cook you something!'

With a smile that could have melted the snow, Tohru slowly exited. Not before Haru could reply. ' Call me Haru, please.'

Nodding her head in understanding, Tohru left.

Sighing, Haru settled back onto the comfortable bed. He couldn't understand why he did not reject her offer. Perhaps, it was because he was hungry. Or perhaps, it was because he felt safe here. Whatever it was, he decided that he should only make his stay temporary. Once he was well enough, he would have to embark on his own solitary journey.

Until then, he couldn't really care less. As he lowered his head upon the cooling pillow, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

' How much further must we go, damn rat?' 

Ignoring the cat's earlier remark, Yuki continued forth.

'Damn it. Did you not hear me? We've been walking since we escaped and even if you're not tired, Hatori-san needs his rest too! Lest he starts popping into a seahorse!'

Controlling his temper, Yuki decided to comply, simply for the sake of shutting the cat up.

Settling down upon the bushes and grass, Kyo was looking flustered, his unruly mop of flaming orange hair now ruffled in different angles. They had escaped, not knowing where the rest of their zodiac clan was, and left Haru behind.

Truth be told, he had never really been on good terms with the ox. Kyo had found Haru to be a dreamer. But then, ever since the day he returned after they had taken him somewhere, he seemed to have changed. His temper grew wild whenever provoked, something Haru seldom did.

In fact, it grew pretty common, which was why they had nicknamed him black Haru whenever he went through that phase. Deep down, Kyo suspected that the mad scientist had something to do with the whole thing. Yuki himself had been through it, Hatori had been done in. He wasn't sure if anymore of their kind had been through the horrors. He himself had yet to experience it. It was something he had not looked forward to.

Meanwhile, Yuki had excused himself to look for some water, leaving Kyo behind to ponder within his thoughts.

Putting a hand over Hatori's forehead, Kyo concluded that he was having a fever. Cursing through his teeth, Kyo made a mental note to kill the bastard Akito should he ever have a chance. First, for cheating them, the zodiacs of their freedom, secondly, for committing such savage experiments upon them as if they were lab rats.

The dragon was in a pretty bad shape.

It was ironic how all their illnesses used to be taken care of by Hatori himself. And yet now, he himself was in need of help. Help, which he couldn't provide for himself. How ironic.

What were they to do now?

What could they do if Hatori were to poof right this instant into his zodiac form?

Leaning back against the tree, Kyo shuddered at the thought and decided to shut all thoughts by taking a nap. Stretching out as he did, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, sprawled out upon the grass, Hatori grimaced as a fury of pain swept through his body. As he slowly opened his eyes, he watched in silent horror as his skin turned a scaly green colour momentarily, and then it disappeared. Pushing a hand through his fringe, he recoiled in shock as sharp claws took the form of his fingernails.

Blinking once, it was gone.

_Green scales. Razor sharp claws. Could it be?_

Too weak and tired from the ordeal, Hatori could only muster a faint smile of disgust and realization before he slumped back into the inviting darkness.

* * *

**A/n: I'm finally done! I'm not used to writing long chapters. In fact, I envy those who are able to type out extremely long chapters. How do you guys do that? I don't have that much info for one chapter! But I did my best this time to make it longer. Hope it was ok.**

**Made things a little bit trickier this time. Black Haru may not really be as normal as you think. Shall not reveal too much. Until next time, please review!**


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